Joel Embiid On DeAndre Ayton: “He’s Going To Get His Ass Kicked This Year”

Embiid is looking forward to welcoming DeAndre Ayton into the league.

It's Media Day for select teams in the NBA today, including the Philadelphia 76ers, which means one thing: Joel Embiid quotes.

The Sixers' big man, who has quickly established himself as one of the most entertaining players in the NBA both on and off the court, provided a number of buzzworthy lines during today's media session, specifically during his discussion with ESPN's Rachel Nichols and Stephen Jackson. Embiid talked about his predictions for the upcoming season, which players he likes trash talking most, and whether or not he's interested in being cast in Space Jam 2.

He was also asked about the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, DeAndre Ayton. In speaking of the Phoenix Suns' rookie center, Embiid tells ESPN's The Jump, "he's about to get his ass kicked this year." Embiid went on to explain his opinion that Ayton has potential, but reiterated his draft night tweet which read, "Don't compare me to Ayton either... I play DEFENSE." Worth noting, Ayton and Embiid will square off for the first time on November 19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly.

Earlier in the day, Embiid asked about the recent hire of former Sixers forward Elton Brand as the team's new general manager. His initial reaction: "As soon as I heard the news, I just thought about how two years ago I was dunking on him...I just remember dunking on him really bad."

Check out video footage of Embiid's Media Day moments in the clip embedded below.